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Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a respiratory illness caused by a virus called SARS associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV). SARS was first reported in Asia in February 2003. Over the next few months the illness spread to more than two dozen countries in Asia, North America, South America and Europe, before the SARS global outbreak in 2003 was contained. There was a second small outbreak in China in 2004.

There is no evidence at this stage of ongoing transmission anywhere in the world. It is not known if a SARS epidemic will recur.

The organism that causes SARS is a new type of virus belonging to the coronaviruses family of viruses, which is one of the virus families that cause the common cold. Coronaviruses have been found in many different animal species including birds and mammals.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a notifiable condition1

How SARS is spread

SARS-CoV is thought to have passed from animals to humans through close contact, butchering or eating undercooked meat in parts of southern China.

The main way that SARS seemed to spread was by close person-to-person contact. The virus that causes SARS is thought to be spread when an infected person talks, coughs or sneezes small droplets containing infectious agents into the air. The droplets in the air may be breathed in by those nearby. Infection may be spread by contact with hands, tissues and other articles soiled by infected nose and throat discharges. People in very close contact with a sick SARS patient are at most risk.

In addition, it is possible that the SARS virus might spread in other ways that are not currently known.

Signs and symptoms

Symptoms of SARS include:

high fever (temperature greater than 38°C), which is often the first symptom